| The subject of search
engine submission and web site optimization can stir
some pretty passionate views and opinions among both service
provider and consumer alike. It's important first, to remember
that web site optimization can vary dramatically by provider
so it's important to educate yourself prior to taking on submission
and optimization services.
For instance, search engine submission is not necessarily
an important part of getting noticed by the search engines.
Many will tell you that you must submit your site to the SE's,
but what they neglect to tell you is that it's strictly optional
and does nothing to enhance your chances of being listed faster
or higher. Don't be fooled by advertisments that promote submission
to thousands of search engines. Here's why:
- The SE's, specifically Google, won't even recognize you
until you have at least 1 inbound link, whether you've submitted
your site to them or not. So instead of wasting your time
and money submitting your site to various engines, simply
work on a linking strategy. Directories are the best place
to start as most engines' crawlers use links within directories
for finding and indexing web pages.
- There are only 8 or 10 top search engines worth worrying
about. Submitting to thousands of sites doesn't necessarily
mean you'll recieve more traffic as most of those sites
do not recieve much traffic themselves. You'll have better
results focusing on the top 3, Google, Yahoo and MSN.
- Most importantly, most of the search engines these advertisements
promise to submit your site to are merely sites setup to
collect your personal information, like name and email address,
to be used to send you advertisements later.
More Than Good Design
It's not enough to simply have a web site. The exponential
growth of the Internet has made it necessary for businesses
to not only create a functional, interactive, and aesthetically
pleasing online experience, but to also implement some type
of marketing program to promote your site.
Statistically we know that:
* Online search is the most widely used method for driving
traffic to a web site.
* Jupiter Research reports that 82% of online shoppers know
exactly what they want when they log onto the Internet and
almost half of them use search engines to find it.
* Research confirms that most online searches end within the
first two pages of results.
Of course, all web sites should be designed and written primarily
with the target audience in mind, but your target audience
will probably be using the search engines to find the products,
services, and information offered on your site.
Why do so many rely on search engine
optimization?
Because organic search engine traffic is highly targeted.
Potential buyers who find your site through search engines
are looking for your products and services on their own. They
are predisposed to hearing your marketing message and you
can’t find a more qualified lead than that.
What distinguishes search engine
marketing from other types of advertising?
- It's Non-Intrusive. Search marketing
is a non-intrusive marketing tool. Most advertising, both
on and offline, interrupts consumer behavior. Go to just
about any website and you'll find an intrusive ad. Even
real news areticles are dominated by ads that force copy
to be continued on another page. With search engine marketing,
the user is actively seeking your products, services, and
information. They want to be driven to your site.
- It's Voluntary. Search marketing is the
result of user-originated behavior. Visitors from search
engines and directories have voluntarily clicked your listing
and are motivated to explore your offerings.
The Role of Search in Business to
Business Buying Decisions
Recently, Enquiro,
a search engine marketing firm researching consumer search
engine behavior, reported the results of their survey on the
role of search engines in Business to Business transactions.
B2B transactions differ from most consumer transactions
because the buying decision requires coordination between
a number of different personnel before the final transaction
is made. Therefore, the process requires a period of time
between researching the product and placing the order.
The
Role of Search in Business to Business Buying Decisions
is a well-designed study of approximately 1500 participants
responding to a 40-question survey that was validated with
pre-testing before implementation. The study is very infomative,
but has too many details to cover here. Some interesting points
reported include:
- When participants were asked to indicate how they would
go about making a B2B purchase, 93.2% said they would research
the purchase online.
- When asked if they would use a search engine at some
point in this task, 95.5% of participants indicated that
they would.
- When asked where they would start their search for information,
63.9% of participants chose a search engine over consumer
review sites, e-commerce sites, manufacturer’s sites,
and industry portals.
- When taking budget into consideration, manufacturer’s
sites and industry portals were the chosen starting place
as budgets increased. However, 86.9% of participants said
they would visit a search engine after visiting those sites.
Interesting Conclusions:
- Search engines play a dominant role in B2B purchases.
- Search engines are used in the early or mid research phase
in the buying cycle.
- Organic SEO gets over 70% of the clicks.
- Position is a factor, with over 60% clicking on the top
3 listings.
- Most users decide which listing to click on in seconds
upon scanning the page.
You can download
the search engine marketing survey in it's entirety here.
Jeno Design has put into place a proven method of driving
qualified, targeted traffic to your web site. As a business
ourselves, we understand the importance of ROI. We make it
our mission to ensure our clients continue to yield results
and achieve a substantial return on investment.
Request A FREE
1 Hour Consultation >
| 
